Doing Church v. Going to Church

In my class right now (Acts and the Pauline letters), we’ve spent a lot of time considering the early Christian church—what it looked like, what it didn’t look like, and what it means, or might mean, for our church today.

The early Christian church was a departure from what people had known. Everyone was used to going to the temple (one central location), and suddenly Jesus is telling his disciples to go into peoples’ homes wherever they are welcomed? And while they’re there, teach! No longer was everyone just going to Jerusalem; they were to go to the ends of the world to proclaim the news about Jesus—that he had come to fulfill the laws by which they had been living. Church was not just done where 100 or 1,000 people met, but “where two or three gathered” (Matthew 18:20). And it wasn’t at the temple. It was in peoples’ kitchens, living rooms, hallways.

Many argue that Paul saw little difference between priests and laity (or pastors and congregants). Basically all hands were on deck to spread God’s word. I mean, if three people were meeting in a kitchen, who was going to be the pastor, really?

I believe the early church challenges us today. I’m not arguing that we do away with pastors or church leadership. But in a paper I’m about to begin for class, I’m going to argue that pastors, perhaps, need to put more emphasis on equipping others to do church. And Paul’s letter to Christians living in Rome acts a study guide.

In Romans Ch. 12: 3-8, he says:
“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

Everyone should do church. Church cannot just be something done—conducted—by one person while everyone sits and listens and then leaves only to hold what they just heard in their heart, but not show it in their actions. Sure, this might mean pastors have to relinquish some control, but I think it also means pastors gain a lot of responsibility! They have some serious project management in their job description because people need to be equipped with knowledge, encouraged to use their gifts, and nudged to the ends of the world!